


Five Things Old, and One Thing New

by kirani



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Asexual Character, Bromance to Romance, Excessive Snapchatting, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 09:28:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21116513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirani/pseuds/kirani
Summary: Or: five times Ransom and Holster brought other people to weddings, and one time they brought each other





	1. Claire & Valerie

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been bouncing around and half finished for forever, I'm so glad to finally get to share it for the Fandom Ace Fest!  
Special thanks to Snork for helping with a lot of the original brainstorming, to Lurla for the beta, and to Denois for the amazing snaps! Links will be in the chapter notes to those, go check them out!

“Claire? Is something wrong?”

“Why would you assume that?” came the reply over the phone line. 

“Because you’re basically allergic to phone calls?” Adam said. 

“Well,” she dragged out the word. “This didn’t seem like it should be done over text. And I can’t wait until I see you next!”

“What is it?”

“I’m engaged!” she shrieked.

Adam pulled the phone from his ear as his childhood best friend squealed. 

“That’s amazing, Claire!” he said when she stopped making such a high pitched noise. “Congrats. I’m really happy for you.”

“Thanks, Adam.”

“When did this happen?”

“She proposed yesterday at dinner. We got a little preoccupied or I would have called last night.”

“You’re entitled to some engagement sex, not gonna hold that against you,” he teased. “Have you told your parents yet?”

“Yeah, Val made me call them before you. Like you’re not my favorite family,” she scoffed.

Adam laughed. “Well, I’m honored to be family as always, but I’m glad you told them first. How’d they take it?”

“A little surprised? I told them we were serious but I don’t think they really believed me, you know?”

“I get that. Do you guys have a date or anything set yet?”

“This fall probably. We’re not gonna do anything fancy. You think you can get away for your absolute best friend in the world’s wedding during the semester?”

“I will take a scratch if I have to. You know I wouldn’t miss your wedding, Claire Bear.”

“You better not. And hey, I’m giving you a plus one on your invite. If you wanna bring Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Handsome.”

“I do believe you are very much taken, Claire!” Adam laughed. She loved to flirt with Ransom because it made him stutter and blush. It made Adam blush some, too. 

“Doesn’t mean I’m blind, Birkholtz! You can bring whoever, really, I just know you two are tight. And he’s nice eye candy if you know what I mean.” Adam could practically hear the wink in her tone. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll ask him.”

He did know what she meant was the problem. His best friend and roommate was absolutely gorgeous. Plus he was smart and funny and sweet in a frat boy kind of way. 

Not that Adam was interested. He wasn’t. But he could appreciate an attractive man when he saw one and Justin Oluransi was definitely that. 

Adam tuned back into Claire’s proposal story and tried to forget about his beautiful best friend dressing up in a suit to drive seven hours for a wedding of someone he’d only met twice just for Adam’s sake. 

(He wasn’t entirely successful.)

Their call got interrupted by the arrival of the very man Adam’s mind kept wandering to coming home from class. 

“Hey, bro,” Ransom greeted, dropping his bag on the floor. 

“Hang on a sec, Claire,” Adam interrupted her.

“Was that him?” she asked.

“Yeah. Can I tell him?” 

“Yes!” she squealed. 

Adam dropped the phone to his chest, muffling her second high-pitched scream of the conversation, and turned to Ransom.

“Claire and Valerie are engaged.”

“That’s swawesome, man! Tell them congrats from me, yeah?”

“Course,” Adam grinned. “You’re invited, bee-tee-dubs. As my plus one.”

“Aw, bro, you don’t have to bring me! We can set you up with a swawesome wedding date and get you laid instead! Or go stag and snag a bridesmaid!” Ransom’s eyes lit up in the way they did when he was scheming a set-up. 

“I’d rather hang out with you, bro,” Adam smiled, trying to derail the scheme. 

It’s not that he wasn’t interested in dating, he was. He was a complete romantic. But hookups? Not his thing. He wasn’t lying that he’d rather hang out with Ransom all night. 

“Okay, well, I’ll try to make it happen then. I’ll let you catch up with Claire.” 

With a fist bump and a smile, he left their room. 

Adam lifted the phone back to his ear. 

“He says congrats,” he told Claire. 

“Thanks.”

They chatted a while longer, Claire rambling about the various things she and Val wanted their wedding to be and Adam crossing his fingers that Ransom would come with him.

~~~

In August, Claire and Valerie threw a joint bachelorette party. 

“What’s the point of a joint party? Isn’t it supposed to be the last time partying without each other?” He asked when both brides-to-be as well as Adam were several drinks in. 

“Psshhhh,” Claire huffed, spitting on the table on accident. “Where’s the fun in that? That’s some heto— heteronomo—“

“Heteronormative?” Valerie offered. 

“Yes! That! Bullshit. I always wanna party with Val.”

“Aw, you’re sweet, babe.”

“Kiss,” Claire demanded with a pout and Val indulged her. 

“Gross,” Adam chirped. 

Val chuckled as Claire flicked him off. 

As each other’s oldest friends they had long ago established that while they supported the shit out of each other’s relationships they also reserved the right to tease the other about it. Especially PDA. 

Not that Adam had really had any PDA to show off around Claire or anyone in a few years. 

His last relationship had petered out after only two months and Adam hadn’t missed her after, even though Justin had gone way over the top trying to comfort him. 

“I’m just not feeling it,” Esther had said. “I feel like we’d be good friends but we’re just not good romantic partners, you know?”

He did know and hadn’t begrudged her ending it. He had been considering the same thing.

Now that he was thinking about it, he’s pretty sure Esther was the last person he’d even had sex with. He hadn’t felt the urge to date again and he really didn’t like hookups. 

His buzzed brain supplied the fact that several members of the bachelorette party would be up for something but he didn’t feel like navigating the awkward conversation that he wanted a good make out but nothing more. 

In the end, he just danced platonically with Claire and Val and shook his head with a kind smile when one of their bridesmaids asked if he wanted to go somewhere to “talk.”

Tonight was about Claire and there was nothing wrong with that. 

~~~

Adam was filling out his RSVP to the wedding when he realized he should probably double-check with Ransom before he sent it in. 

“Hey, bro?”

“Sup?” Ransom pulled an earbud out and looked up at Adam from the desk in their attic room. 

“You still wanna go see Claire and Val get hitched?”

“Yeah, course! When is it?”

Adam scanned the invitation. “October 14. Gonna drive up the 13th though. Rehearsal dinner.”

Random clicked open his calendar app and swiped the two months to October. 

“Oh, shit,” he mumbled. 

“You can’t go?”

“I have a chem test that Friday afternoon. I’m so sorry Holtzy.” 

Adam shrugged. He’d be pretty busy as a bridesman anyway, it might be for the best that he wasn’t dragging Ransom all the way up to Buffalo. 

“It’s cool, bro.”

“I can see if I can take it early?” He offered with worried eyes. 

“Nah, it’s okay. I’ll just go stag.”

“Or, hey, we could still set you up with someone!” Ransom smiled brightly. 

Adam shook his head. “I gotta get this in the mail today, no time to find a date I’d be willing to drive seven hours with.”

“What about Lardo?”

“Bro. I am not hooking up with Lardo.”

“No!” Ransom stammered. “Just a friend for the drive. I know you don’t really know a lot of Claire’s friends anymore. It would be nice to have company is all I’m saying.”

Adam thought about it. It would be nice to have someone to share the drive with. 

“Fair point. I’ll text her.”

**Adam:** you wanna be my platonic bro date to my bff’s wedding in buffalo oct 14? leaving friday morning. 

**Lardo the Magnificent:** hell yeah road trip !! 

Adam chuckled. “She’s in.”

**Adam:** chicken or beef

**Lardo the Magnificent:** [chicken emoji]

Adam marked off two chicken dinners and wrote in Lardo’s name, even though calling her Larissa felt super weird, then stuffed the piece of cardstock in the envelope and shoved it in his bag to mail on the way to class. 

~~~

Lardo refused to drive Adam’s piece of shit car but she still made an excellent co-pilot and Adam didn’t mind the drive. He knew all the best places to stop along the way and the pair of them made the most of the Snapchat app to show Ransom what he was missing. He sent back a pouting selfie after his exam but grinning ones when they asked how it had gone. 

_ Nailed it _, the caption read. 

Holsom grinned at the photo when Lardo showed him and made a mental note to screenshot that one from their snap group when he was out of the car. 

Claire and Val’s wedding was in a forest preserve. The ceremony was down a path in the woods where they were married by the friend who had introduced them. There were lanterns strung up around the Huppah and over the chairs and Adam cried the entire ceremony from his spot in the front row where all the attendants were sitting. Lardo wordlessly leaned over his shoulder and handed over a handkerchief. 

“You’re the best, bro,” Adam whispered. 

“You suck at whispering,” Lardo chirped. Adam just smiled. His best friend was getting married and he had one of his best bros at his side. It was a perfect night. 

It would only be better if Ransom was there, too. 

The dinner was in the picnic area at the preserve and similarly strung up in lights. He and Lardo were at table two with the other attendants and their dates and Adam enjoyed catching up with the mutual friends from school and the friends Claire had met at school and work and introduced Adam to over the years. 

Adam snuck a look at his phone and grinned when he saw he had a snap from Rans. He clicked it open and saw a grinning Ransom with the caption _ how’s the wedding??? _

He showed it to Lardo before it disappeared and she leaned in easily for the selfie. _ Lit. _

The response came fast and just said _ swawesome. _

Adam screenshot the snap and stuck his phone back in his pocket. Dinner was wrapping up and soon the newlyweds were cutting their small cake and everyone got up to grab a cupcake. As they ate, the couple had their first dance in the center of the picnic area and Adam teared up again. 

“Bro,” Lardo said from beside him. 

“They’re just so beautiful,” Adam cried. “I’m so happy for her. For them both!”

“Let’s get you some water.”

Adam didn’t think he’d really drank that much but maybe he could use some water. Lardo returned with a glass for him and he drank it quickly.

“Okay. Let’s do this. Ready to tear up the dance floor, Duan?”

“You know I am, Birkholtz!”

They goofed around and challenged each other to progressively silly moves for a while until a slow song came on. 

“Get over here, Holtz,” Lardo held out a hand and Adam let her reel him in. 

They danced in a standard hold for half of the song before Adam spoke. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Lards, you know you’re an awesome bro and I’m really glad you’re here, but I miss Rans.”

Lardo tilted her head up at him. “He’s your best bro. No offense taken. You two are crazy tight. I bet you miss him when he goes to the bathroom.” Her tone was chirpy but he knew she supported their eternal bro-hood. 

“I mean, a little, but it’s different.”

She studied him more seriously. “How do you mean?” 

“Just like, this wedding is swawesome but I wish he was here, like, to make it better? I dunno, it doesn’t make any sense.”

Lardo’s face cleared as though it made sense to her. “You miss him… romantically?” She offered. 

Adam shook his head. “That’s not it, we’re not like that. I know there’s rumors but we’re not. Never were. Halloween Kegster of 2012 notwithstanding.” 

Lardo snorted and Adam smiled, glad he could break the tension. “I guess I just like to do big stuff together with him. It makes them better.” 

“Okay,” Lardo said. 

The slow song ended and the pair broke apart to dance to the pop song. 

If Lardo saw him sneak off a couple of songs later to snap Ransom that he missed him with the heart filter, she didn’t say anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Snaps by the amazing Denois](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/post/188498477035/more-the-amazing-kirani-willdexpoindexter)


	2. Hannah & Mohammed

“Oh no,” Justin groaned. 

“What’s up bro?” 

“Nothing, just my cousin being a nerd.” 

He typed back to her text. 

_ We are not together, dude. How many times do I have to tell you? _

_ Once more, cousin. I don’t believe you, _came the reply. 

_ I’m not bringing him. _

The three dots appeared and disappeared a couple of times before the reply came through. 

_ You should bring someone though. If you’re not banging Adam you should be banging someone else. _

Justin rolled his eyes even though Hannah couldn’t see him. _ Gross. _

He fiddled with the wedding invitation, addressed to _ Justin Oluransi and Adam Birkholtz _ which he had thankfully snagged from the Haus mail before Holster had seen. Fuck that was embarrassing. 

Maybe he would ask someone. It had to be better than getting teased by all his cousins for coming stag when he could have brought “his boy”. He couldn’t handle that. 

Did he have an enormous crush on his best bro and roommate? Yes. Did Adam return his feelings even a little bit? Nope. So he was not subjecting him — or himself, really — to the teasing if they went together as bros. 

Hannah texted him again when he was studying with his anatomy study buddy Adanna. She laughed at the look on his face so his annoyance must have shown. 

“Who is texting you to get that reaction?”

“My cousin. Is your family big and obnoxious and all up in your business, too?” 

Adanna was the child of Nigerian parents, too, that’s how they had ended up study buddies. He had made some comment about “when Nigerian parents tell you you’re going to be a doctor, you become a doctor,” and she had laughed so hard she’d fallen out of her chair before finally getting out that hers had done the same thing. 

“Oh yeah, they all live in each other’s pockets and think they get to do the same for me. What’s your cousin doing?” She craned her neck to see his phone and he held it out. 

_ You ask him out yet baby cousin? _

“Oh? Who’s this?” 

“My roommate. She’s convinced I’m, like, in love with him or something.”

“Oh my God they were roommates,” Adanna deadpanned. 

Justin rolled his eyes. “I’m not asking him. She wants me to bring him to her wedding this summer. And, I could totally take him as a bro if I thought the whole family wouldn’t gang up on us and tell him all sorts of lies. But going stag I’m pretty sure they’ll just chirp me alone. So I’ve just been ignoring her.”

“So take me.”

“What?”

“Take me to the wedding. I won’t be bothered by a big Nigerian family, I’ve got my own. And I know you’re a good dancer. We’ll have fun.”

“You’d come to Toronto to go to my cousin’s wedding?” Justin blinked at her. 

“What are bros for?” She held out a fist and he bumped it. 

“Bro date. Excellent,” he grinned. 

~~~

Adanna came in to Toronto the night before the wedding and stayed in his parent’s guest room. She was polite to his parents, put up with his sisters, and charmed his nana. She was the perfect wedding date. 

The morning of the wedding, Justin put on his suit and went to the church, offering Adanna his arm and escorting her like the gentleman his parents expected. She chirped him mercilessly. 

“You’re such a good son, Justin. I’m so glad you found a nice Nigerian girl to date, when are you going to marry her, hmm?”

“You sound like my aunt,” he groaned. 

“How are your grades, Justin? Studying hard?”

“Stop!” He giggled. She really was doing an excellent impersonation. 

The ceremony was long and drawn out but Hannah and Mo were beautiful together and despite the chirping, he really was happy for her. 

He sat with Adanna in the fourth pew and sent stealthy snapchats to Holster of the procession, the vows, and some over-dramatic selfies. Adanna shot him a couple of looks but didn’t say anything 

At the reception, he did a boomerang with Adanna toasting the happy couple and Holster saw it immediately and sent a string of emojis in his Instagram DMs. Adanna just rolled her eyes. 

“Does he have notifs on for you or something?”

“Yeah, of course. We’re best bros.”

“And you’re sure you don’t have feelings for this guy?” She asked quietly. Justin glared at her but spotted his Auntie G approached before he could chirp back. 

Justin kept up a running commentary of the various Aunts approaching to coo over him and his apparent date, all of which Adanna charmed, as promised.

“You’re good at this,” Justin remarked as he handed her another round near the end of the cocktail hour. 

“Practice,” she shrugged. 

“I appreciate it.” 

Adanna appraised him for a moment before nodding. “You’re welcome.” 

During the dinner, Justin snapped each course, speech, and all the favors and table settings. 

“Dude,” Adanna said. 

“What?”

She gestured to his phone where he was typing a caption onto a snap of his Uncle tearing up as he gave the father of the bride speech, raising one eyebrow. 

“I miss him, okay?” Justin said quietly. 

“Dude,” she said again, softer this time. “Should I also be encouraging you to ask him out?” 

Justin groaned. “No. I know how I feel. I know how he feels. They don’t match. It’s not worth the rejection.”

“Aw, that’s so sad! You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay, well, put the phone down and quit pining for a few songs. You owe me some dancing.”

Justin grinned and slid his phone into his pocket, rising to take Adanna’s hand and lead them to the dance floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [more snaps by the wonderful Denois!](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/post/188498484785/more-continuing-from-my-previous-post)


	3. Johnson & Mary

Adam had been in the middle of his last semester panic when the invitation to Johnson’s wedding had arrived at the Haus. He’d chatted briefly with Ransom who’d suggested they double date it and Adam had too much on his mind to really think about it, so he marked that he’d have a guest and so had Ransom and now…

Now it was June and the wedding was in July and neither of them had dates. 

“I think I’m gonna ask March,” Ransom said out of the blue one evening while they played MarioKart on the couch at Haus 2.0. Adam paused the game. 

“Really?”

Ransom shrugged. “We’re still friends. She’s fun at parties. We’d have a good time.”

Adam furrowed his brow. 

“You could take April?” Ransom offered. 

Adam hummed. He was pretty sure Ransom thought he and April were hooking up back in junior year even though they never did. Adam didn’t hook up at all. 

“They’re both in Boston. I could ask March to ask her for you?”

Adam shrugged. “Sure. Haven’t seen them in a while anyways.”

“Swawesome.”

Ransom arranged it and a month later, the four of them arrived at a Boston park and watched John Johnson marry his long-time girlfriend, Mary. 

“Dude. Her name is Mary Sue,” Ransom whispered, pointing at the program which announced the wedding of John Johnson and Mary Sue Williams.

“Who the hell names their kid Mary Sue?” Adam whispered back with a giggle. 

April shot him a look and he stuck his tongue out at her. She stuck hers right back. She was a good friend. 

~

A couple hours later, Adam was laying in the grass, petting a cat (and snapping it to Ransom of course), largely ignoring the party. 

Ransom had made a vague statement to him about March and “old time’s sake” and the two of them had been dancing close enough that Adam could tell March was on the same page. They’d probably hook up that night. Adam had slipped away. 

Which of course was where April found him. 

“Dude.”

The cat fled. 

“Aw, you scared her,” Adam whined. 

April flopped onto the grass beside him with an easy grin. “What’s going on?”

Adam shrugged. “Rans and March are probably gonna hook up.”

“Oh,” her smiled fell. 

“Yeah. And I don’t wanna be a cockblock but it’s also kinda bumming me out.”

“Adam, you know he’d jump at the chance if you told him you were interested.”

“I don’t wanna hook up with him,” Adam said, shaking his head. 

“He wants to date you, too,” she said softly. 

“It’s… it’s complicated.”

“We’ve got time. Hit me. If you want.”

“So I’ve told you I’m bi?” She nodded, so he continued. “I’m also ace. And Justin is so… physical, you know? With his love.”

“That does complicate things. But it doesn’t mean it’s not possible.”

Adam hummed. “Our friendship is too important though. I couldn’t stand to ask and lose him.”

“I know what you mean with that one,” April smiled sadly. “Falling for your best friend sucks sometimes.”

“Really? You and March?” Adam propped himself on his elbow to look at her. 

She shrugged but nodded. “I’ve never told her. I don’t know if she feels the same.”

“Dude, she totally does! I have seen the looks she gives you when you’re not looking! And she’s checked you out a _ lot _ tonight.”

“You’re changing the subject, Adam,” she teased. “What’s stopping you from asking Justin out?”

He sighed and flopped back in the grass. “I don’t want to make him choose. But I’m definitely totally in love with him.”

“Choose? Between you and sex?”

“Yeah basically.”

“There’s still options. The ‘two boyfriends for the price of one,’ concept comes to mind, where you just don’t have sex with either. Or… some ace people like sex sometimes, too?”

“Nah, it’s never really been fun for me. Making out? Hell yeah. But sex is just… no.” 

April nodded thoughtfully, watching Justin and March distantly. “That’s fair. Though I still think it’s worth discussing. You know he loves you, too.”

He shook his head. “I can’t do it, April. You should understand. It could ruin our friendship. You wouldn’t do it either.”

April didn’t look away from the dancers. “I think I would.”

Adam sat up again and looked down at her. “What?”

“I think I would. Leaving sex out of the equation for the sake of this argument, but I would also totally bang her if she wanted to bang, too. But. Listen. The outcomes are basically: I tell her and she says yes, and we date the heck out of each other; or we talk about it and decide to stay friends instead but I’ve gotten it out and don’t have to feel like this every time she dates because at least I _ tried _; or in the very rare instance of a friendship ending fight — which I don’t think March would do — well, I know. And that’s gotta hurt less than this. Watching her date other people and wondering sucks.”

“Damn, girl,” Adam said when she finally fell silent. “You’ve really thought about this, haven’t you?”

“You’re the one who said you see it, too. Maybe I’m allowed to hope, just a little.”

“You should!”

“You should, too, Adam.”

“I dunno, that’s probably too much for me right now.”

“Well,” she said, standing. “Think about it. I’ve got a girl to get.”

“Wait, now?”

“Why not? It’s romantic as hell here. Come claim your bro at least, I’m about to steal his date.”

Adam stood and let her weave her way through the tables to the dance floor. “Wait!” 

She turned. 

“You’re covered in grass,” he laughed. 

April looked down and laughed as well. Together they brushed down her dress and she did a final spin for approval. “Perfect. Go get ‘er.”

April winked and disappeared into the dancers. 

“Hey!” A voice called from behind him. He turned and found the groom in his tux, bowtie undone. 

“Hey man!” Adam gave him a bro hug. “Congrats! I didn’t even realize you two were engaged until we got the invite, so glad we could make it!”

“Yeah, the author needed another wedding in here because it’s too early for zimbits to get married so they conveniently wrote me living in Boston because that’s where you two live!”

“What?”

“Holtzy!” 

Justin wrapped his arms around Adam’s shoulders from behind. “Hey, Johnson! Congrats, man!”

“Thanks, Rans. I’ll leave you to it. Thanks for coming!”

Adam turned and Ransom loosened his arms. 

“You looked like you were having fun out there,” Adam said with an easy smile. It was always easy to smile at Ransom. 

“Yeah, March is great. I don’t think we’re gonna hook up tonight though. I’m pretty sure April…” he trailed off meaningfully and raised his eyebrows at Adam. 

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “I might have helped with that courage for that move.”

“Nice! I’m happy for them,” he looked behind him to where the two women were dancing closely together and speaking, slowly rotating even though the song was upbeat. 

Adam’s heart soared for them and he grinned. 

Justin turned around. “Sorry you didn’t get to hook up, though, bro.”

“Nah, April and I aren’t like that. We never were.”

“Really?” Justin blinked. “I thought for sure you were.”

“I know. I just didn’t correct you.”

“Why?” Justin’s face was so open that Adam nearly spilled everything. But it wasn’t the place. And it wasn’t worth it. 

So he just shrugged. 

“Well, you wanna dance, bro? Since it looks like our dates are now each other’s dates?”

“Sure, bro,” Adam smiled again and let Justin lead them to the dance floor. 

As they danced the night away, Adam let himself be happy with what he had, even if he still wanted more sometimes. 

This was enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [even more snaps by the amazing Denois!](https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/post/188498493130/even-when-theyre-at-the-same-wedding-holster)


	4. Bitty & Jack

In a move that surprised literally no one, Jack 110% Zimmermann proposed to his boyfriend on their second anniversary, Bitty’s graduation. Bitty had insisted they would have a long engagement so he could establish himself in his career before he let Jack “make an honest man out of him”. They only lasted a year before they sent out invitations for a date that fall. 

In fact, Jack and Bitty arrived with their invitations in person late in June to Haus 2.0. 

“Bro, not that I’m not happy to see you, but you could’ve just mailed them,” Justin chirped as he invited the couple in. “Or, wait, do you not know our address? Holster! Jack and Bitty don’t know our address!”

“What?” Holster shouted from the kitchen. 

Bitty rolled his eyes and made himself at home on their couch. 

“We actually came to see y’all. Who else is home?”

Justin shrugged. “Think everyone is here. Can’t guarantee Shits is clothed though.”

“Ha,” Jack laughed. “I expect nothing less.”

“Yo! Shits, Lards, Holtz! Get your hockey butts in here!” Justin yelled.

“Do y’all never just go places? You have to yell?”

“How quickly you forget, Bits.”

Holster arrived first, flopping onto the couch on one side of Justin, before Shitty arrived on the other side. He was thankfully wearing boxers. Lardo perched on the back of the couch as usual. They all greeted Jack and Bitty as they came in and then waited for Bitty, who clearly had something to say. 

“We wanted to come deliver these in person,” Bitty announced, handing each of them a wedding invitation. “Go on, open ‘em!” 

Justin exchanged a look with Holster before opening his. Inside was a cardstock invitation to the wedding of Eric Richard Bittle and Jack Laurent Zimmermann on September 14, 2019. 

But then Justin noticed that the second card wasn’t just an RSVP slip. In Bitty’s neat writing, it said: “Will you be my groomsman? - Bitty”

He looked up at Holster who had the same card. 

“Bro!” he exclaimed, leaping from the couch and jumping on Bitty in unison with Holster. 

Bitty laughed beneath their enthusiastic hug. “Is that a yes?”

“Dude, of course!” Holster shouted. 

“Swawesome,” Justin grinned, bumping fists with Holster without looking. 

“Chowder is my best man already, he’ll be so happy I finally had a chance to ask you, he’s been bursting at the seams to tell y’all.”

Beside them, Shitty was sobbing on Jack. Bitty jerked his thumb at them. “Jack asked Shitty to be his best man. And Lardo a groomswoman, too.”

Lardo was blinking fast. “You’re gonna make me mess up my eyeliner, Zimmermann. Hug me.”

She was folded quickly into the hug and Justin took the opportunity to hug pile on. 

“Wait, who’s your other groomsperson, Jack?”

“Euh, Tater,” Jack said from the middle of the pile. 

“Sweet,” Holster said, nudging Justin with his elbow. Justin just rolled his eyes. 

For all that he had a bit of a crush on Tater, the two of them had actually become friends over the past few years and the crush was just a low simmer these days. He didn’t freak out like he used to. It actually sounded fun. 

~

**Tater** : Hey Ransom, you want be my wedding date? We are walk together. Easier than finding date, no?

Justin stared at the text. Was Tater actually asking him on a date? Was that different than a wedding date? He decided to ask Adam. 

“Hey, Holtzy? Can you look at something for me?”

“Sure, what’s up?” Adam crossed to the table and Justin handed him the phone. “Dude, awesome!”

“Is it an actual date? Or just, like, a friend-wedding-date?”

Holster reread the text, considering, and Justin appreciated it. 

“I think it’s a friend date that he wouldn’t be upset if it turned into an actual date.” He handed the phone back to Justin, meeting his gaze. “What do you want it to be?”

Justin tucked the phone back into his pocket. “I guess I’d like it if it was a date. But he’s also cool and I like hanging out with him. So I guess I’m in the same spot.” 

“There you go, then. Same page. Tell him yes.”

“What about you?” Justin blurted out before he could stop himself. He had imagined he and Holster would hang out all night as the single groomsmen. 

Holster just shrugged. “I’ll know half the wedding party, I’ll find someone to hang out with. Go with Tater.” 

Justin couldn’t read Holster’s face which bugged him. A lot. He could always read Holster. What was going on?

“I’ll think about it,” he decided, and Holster smiled, loose and easy. That was better. That face he knew. 

So the day of the wedding, Justin walked down the aisle with Alexei Mashkov and was seated next to him at dinner, and even though he was also always in tune with Holster, he was happy to be there with Tater. 

Adam had ended up asking April as an actual friend-wedding-date (she and March had gotten serious quickly so that definitely wasn’t going to turn into an actual-date), and she chatted easily with Tater, Shitty, Lardo, Chowder, and Farmer at the Groomspeople’s table at the reception. 

Justin was sure the speeches were beautiful but he had completely lost track of them when Tater slipped his hand onto Justin’s thigh. Everything was centered around that hand, the heat of it bright through the thin slacks of his suit pants. When the speeches were finally over, Tater let go to clap and raise his glass and then his leg felt ice cold. 

He would be dead by the end of the night if this kept up. 

“Let’s dance, Justin,” Tater murmured into his ear. Justin looked up and, sure enough, couples were starting to filter onto the dance floor. He let himself be led there and slipped easily into a loose hold, Tater leading him around the dance floor with a gentle hand on his back. 

The first couple’s dance ended and the band broke into a fast tune and everyone else joined the floor. Tater didn’t go far, though, keeping Justin reeled in to move together. His body thrummed to the beat of the music and the closeness of Tater and he asked himself again what he wanted. 

He thought back to his conversation with Holster about what he wanted this “date” to be and decided he still did want it to be a date if Tater did. He just still wasn’t sure. 

Justin took a deep breath and leaned in to ask. “Am I reading this right?” 

“Yes,” Tater said quickly. “If you want?” His eyebrows had shot up into his hairline and he looked suddenly vulnerable against the previous bravado that had gotten them to the dance floor. 

“I’m down,” Justin said with a smile he hoped looked confident. 

Tater swallowed hard and Justin grinned wider and led them from the dance floor. 

Back in Justin’s room at the hotel, Tater snapped the door shut with a quick snick then pressed Justin back against it. 

“Is okay?” He whispered, his hands firm in Justin’s hips but not demanding. 

“Yeah, it’s good,” Justin breathed into the charged space between them. His heart was racing and he was excited but nervous. Finally, Tater kissed him. 

Justin felt his knees go weak and was deeply grateful for the door at his back. He kissed back with enthusiasm but it wasn’t  _ right _ somehow. 

He tried to change the angle, change how he held Tater, but nothing worked. He pulled back and Tater loosened his grip, studying his face. 

“Justin? Why are you crying?”

Justin reached his hand up and touched his cheek, shocked to find it wet. “I don’t know.”

Tater led him to the desk chair and settled on the edge of the bed across from him. 

“Are you wanting me to leave?” He asked quietly. 

“No, it’s okay, I just… I don’t think I wanna hook up.”

Tater nodded in understanding. “Is it Holster?”

“What? No!” Justin reacted quickly but then let himself think about it. “Maybe.”

“Why you not together?” Tater asked. “I see you together, I think you are dating, but Jack says no. But you are crying. I’m not understand.” 

Justin sighed and snagged a tissue to blow his nose. 

“It’s complicated.”

“You not have to tell me, but I can listen, if you want,” Tater offered. 

“I’m just,” Justin huffed a breath. “I’m just so damn in love with him, Tater.” Despite his best efforts, the tears began to fall from his eyes again. “I have been for years. But he’s never shown any interest. I’ve even, it’s stupid, but I’ve even joked about hooking up as bros just to have  _ something _ but he’s not interested. Not in anything. But I can’t get over him!” 

“Shh, you’re alright, you’re safe,” Tater murmured, gathering Justin up in his arms. He wasn’t sure when he had stood back up but Tater wrapped around him was good. Safe. 

“You’re a good friend, Tater.” 

“Got your back,” Tater smiled. 

“No wonder everyone thinks you went to Samwell with how much you use our sayings.”

“Swawesome!” Tater grinned wider and Justin chuckled softly. 

“I don’t know what to do,” Justin whispered.

“You are sure he likes men?” Tater asked. 

Justin nodded. “Yeah, I’ve seen him with all sorts of genders at parties and he has a bi flag on his laptop. He’s not secretive about it. He doesn’t share deets much but I’m pretty sure he’s getting laid regularly.”

Tater hummed. “Have you asked? Using  _ words _ ?” he teased gently. 

“Nah, I just know, you know? We get each other like that. I don’t have to ask.”

“So you want move on? I can set you up?” 

Justin laughed. “I’ll think about it. For now, can we just watch some TV or something? I don’t wanna think about it  _ right now _ .”

“You want cuddle? You could use cuddle. No more, promise.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”


	5. Shitty & Lardo

Adam opened the door of Haus 2.0 and heard a sniffle from the kitchen. He exchanged a worried look with Ransom before they went to find the source. 

They found Lardo sitting sideways on Shitty’s lap, running her fingers through his hair as he cried quietly. 

“What’s wrong?” Adam asked. 

“I put a ring on it,” Lardo said calmly. “Shitty hasn’t stopped crying since.”

“I’m just so happy my bros!” Shitty choked out. He surged up from the kitchen chair, dislodging Lardo who just chuckled, and wrapped his arms around Ransom and Adam. 

“Congrats, bros,” Ransom said, gesturing for Lardo to join the group hug. She did, gladly and they all held each other. 

“I have to call Jack!” Shitty exclaimed, wiggling out of the center and grabbing his phone. They watched him go and heard him greet Jack before the bedroom door closed behind him. 

Lardo shook her head with a smile. 

“You popped the question in the kitchen?” Adam asked after a moment. 

“Nah, asked him in bed after a nap,” she shrugged. 

“A nap, huh?” Ransom chirped. “Sure Lards.”

“Yes,  _ Justin _ a nap. That’s the story and we’re sticking with it. We got up to get him some water to try to calm down because he was, well, you saw.” 

“I’m really happy for you two,” Adam said quietly. He was, too. He was genuinely pumped for two of his best friends getting hitched. Even if the number of weddings he’s had to miss Ransom from across the room was getting a little ridiculous. 

“Thanks, Holtzy. And hey, you two wanna be my best men?”

“Really?” Adam shouted. 

“Yes!” Ransom exclaimed. 

The two of them pulled Lardo back into a group hug. 

“This is gonna be swawesome,” Ransom grinned. “Best bros being best men!”

“We need a selfie!” Adam declares instead of thinking about what he wanted to be with Ransom. 

They took a Snapchat and Adam sent it to Shitty and Jack, saving it for sharing later once everyone knew. ‘Best Men reporting for duty.’

~ 

The wedding was only a few months later, since they were keeping it chill. He had asked April again but she was out of town and couldn’t make it. 

“Still no luck on figuring out your deal with Justin?” She had chirped. 

“He’s bringing his boyfriend.”

“What?!” April screeched over the phone line. 

Justin had invited  _ Tyler _ , this guy he had started seeing. Adam was almost certain Tater had set them up, actually, which was beyond weird. 

Adam didn’t like Tyler. It had nothing to do with Tyler himself, he didn’t think. He was perfectly fine. Sweet to Rans, didn’t get awkward over their best bro hood, he was great. None of that mattered. Adam didn’t like him. 

“Yeah,” Adam sighed. “He’s been dating more, ever since Jack and Bitty’s wedding when he hooked up with Mashkov, and it’s been mostly men. Which is sort of messing with my head. But he’s… he’s sharing deets a lot. He’s clearing having fun and getting laid a lot. So I’m happy for him.”

“You don’t sound happy, Adam.”

“I’m working on it.”

So Adam has arrived stag to the wedding and decided to just focus on making sure Lardo had the best wedding ever. 

The two of them helped her into her gown and adjusted her flower crown. They pinned matching boutonnieres on each other and put Lardo’s bouquet in her hands. And then they were lining up for the ceremony. 

Shitty entered first, walking up the aisle in his suit and matching flower crown to stand beside his friend who had gotten ordained just for this wedding. Next, Jack walked the path and took his place beside Shitty. Ransom and Holster walked together, as joint best men, and stood to the side where Lardo would soon join them. 

And then the door to the hall opened once more and Lardo stood there, radiant as ever, in a jet black gown that swept the floor behind her. The gathered crowd gasped and murmured and Adam grinned as the SMH contingent whooped. 

Finally, she arrived at the front and passed her bouquet to Ransom so Shitty could take her hands. Adam was already crying. 

The ceremony passed in the blink of an eye, stunningly beautiful and full of tears -- mostly Shitty’s -- and then Mark declared them “wedded partners” and they kissed to seal it. 

A couple hours later, ceremony, speeches, cake cutting, and any other best man duties over and done with, Ransom was dancing with Tyler and Adam was sitting on the side of the dance floor. 

“Dude. My bro. Stop moping at my wedding,” Lardo said by way of announcing herself. She sat in the chair next to him. 

“Not moping.”

“Sure you aren’t. Remind me why you haven’t asked him out, again?”

Adam just glared at her. She knew why. She’d heard him lament the situation many times. 

“Fine,” she sighed. “Then come dance with me.”

“Yeah, alright,” Adam grinned, stepping onto the dance floor for the first time that night to twirl Lardo in her gown. After a few songs, a slower one came on and Lardo easily folded into her best man.

“Where’s your husband, anyway?” 

Lardo nodded over her shoulder where Shitty was dancing with -- and crying on -- Jack. 

“Aw, he’s so happy.”

“He really is,” Lardo said. “So am I.”

“I’m glad, Lards. You deserve it.”

“You do, too,” she said in reply. 

Adam lowered his voice. “Look, even if I wanted to and was ready to risk all that, he’s with Tyler. I’m not gonna be that guy.”

“Is that why you’re so mopey? You’re ready and he’s with someone?”

“I dunno, Lards. I wanna be ready, but I’m scared and he’s taken so it doesn’t matter.”

“I’m sorry, Holtz.”

“The wedding was beautiful,” he told her. 

“Thanks. And thanks for being my best man. Means a lot to me.”

“Glad to be here for you, bro. Whatever you need. I got your back.”

“And I’ve got yours,” she grinned.


	6. March & April

Justin heard about April and March’s engagement from Adam when he came home from his monthly coffee date with April bouncing out of his skin with excitement. 

“She asked me to stand up! I had no idea she considered me that close a friend, but I guess I did kinda get them together so it makes sense. I’m just so happy for them! Bro, you wanna be my plus one? Well, no, you’ll probably get your own invite, nevermind, it’s cool, I’m just so excited!”

Justin laughed and pulled his best friend into a hug. “Breathe, Holtz.”

Eventually, Adam calmed down and they popped open a couple of beers to toast to the newly engaged couple. Justin thought about the question Adam had rambled out and decided to just go for it. He was single after several failed attempts at dating -- it was very difficult to fall in love with someone when all your emotional energy was going into pining after your roommate -- and he wasn’t in the mood to find someone to take anyway, so it was better this way. 

“I’d love to be your plus one,” he said at last. 

“Really?” Holster pulled back from their hug and studied his face. 

“Yeah, bro, I love hanging out with you. It’ll be swawesome.”

The blinding grin on Holster’s face told him he’d made the right decision. 

~

The day of the wedding, Justin straightened Adam’s tie and sent him off to photos before the ceremony, settling into the sparse crowd milling around before the church opened. It was mostly family and a few other plus ones so he didn’t know anyone and just ended up scrolling Twitter and killing time. 

Caitlin Farmer arrived after a while with Chris Chow and the three of them caught up on what had been going on since they saw each other last, which was probably Shitty and Lardo’s wedding. He really needed to be better about seeing his college friends, he decided. 

When the ceremony finally began, Justin turned to watch Adam walk down the aisle, escorting one of the other SWV players he’d vaguely known from college. He winked at Justin as he passed but otherwise kept up a perfectly professional demeanor. 

The ceremony was lovely, of course, but Justin couldn’t keep his eyes off Adam. The wind outside during photos must have messed up his hair because it wasn’t laying as nicely as Justin had made it before they left the Haus, and he wanted to go up and fix it for him. 

He also wanted to go hand him a handkerchief, as Adam was crying silently as he watched the brides exchange their vows. Adam always cried at weddings, it was horribly endearing. 

Justin spent a lot of time wanting to touch and care for Adam. And for the most part, it was the same in reverse. Except Justin also spent a lot of time wanting to kiss Adam, and that seemed to be their disconnect. So Justin sat and watched his best friend cry through another wedding and told his heart that this was enough for the hundredth time. 

It had to be enough. 

When the party was released into the cocktail hour, Adam immediately found him and hugged him tight. 

“You okay, Holtzy?” Justin asked. 

“It was just so beautiful,” Adam said into his shoulder, and Justin relaxed. Adam overwhelmed by emotions he could handle. 

“It really was. You looked good up there, too, bro.”

“Aww, thanks, bro! Cocktail? I think we need to try both the signatures. Thoughts?”

Justin laughed and followed him to the bar where Adam ordered one of each cocktail and offered both to Justin. He picked the pink one and they toasted the new couple. The drink was sweet with a tang of pomegranate and Justin nodded appreciatively. 

“That’s good. Which one is it?” 

“That’s April’s. Here, try March’s,” he offered the other glass and Justin easily swapped glasses with him. March’s tasted like pineapple and cherries. 

“Also good,” he declared. 

“Adam and Justin!” A voice called out, and Justin turned to find Greg from the Samwell Men’s Rowing team approaching. “How are you two? Saw Adam up there and figured you’d be around.”

“Hey, man,” Adam bumped fists with Greg. “We’re good, how’ve you been?” 

Justin tried not to be excited that Adam had so easily answered for both of them. That’s who they were. 

“Good, I actually got engaged! Where is he, Jake! Come over here and meet some old friends.”

Jake was nice enough, quieter than Greg but then most people were quieter than a rowing coxie, and they chatted for a few minutes. 

“When did you two finally get together, anyway? It must have been after I left Samwell because I didn’t hear about it.”

Justin felt his cheeks heat just as his heart broke all over again. He should have known they’d get that question tonight. Thankfully, Adam stepped in so he didn’t have to force the words out of his suddenly dry throat. 

“We’re not together.” 

It sounded so final like that. They weren’t together. They wouldn’t ever be together. 

“Oh, shit, sorry, I just thought, nevermind, doesn’t matter. Hope you have a good night, gotta go introduce this guy to some other people, yeah? See you around.” 

Justin stared after Greg and Jake, who mouthed ‘sorry’ at them as he was dragged away. 

“Awkward,” Adam said. 

Justin groaned. “That’s gonna happen all night, isn’t it.”

Adam smiled sadly, but then April’s Maid of Honor was announcing that the hall was now open for dinner and could everyone make their way in, so they didn’t talk about it anymore. 

~

Justin loved dancing. He loved dancing at weddings. He loved dancing with  _ Adam _ at weddings. But it was still breaking his heart. 

The song had changed to a slower one and Adam had easily pulled him in to sway together. 

“I love weddings,” Adam murmured as they swayed to some old crooner Justin couldn’t name. “They’re even better with you, though.”

Justin’s heart, the betraying thing, soared. He smiled. “Bro, I was gonna say the same thing.” 

It was true, he loved weddings even more when he got to hang out with Adam. Hell, his favorite wedding memory is probably dancing the night away with Adam after April and March got together at Johnson’s wedding. That reminded him…

“How’d you get them together, anyway?”

“Well,” Adam took a deep breath. “Basically, you and March were dancing all hot and heavy and April and I were talking about it, how it’s scary to ask because what if you lose your best friend? And she encouraged me to say something and I encouraged her to say something, and only she did. And now we’re at their wedding. And I still haven’t said anything.”

Justin’s head was reeling. What did that mean? Did that mean Adam had something he wanted to say, too? Just like April had?

“What?” was all he managed to say aloud. 

Adam shrugged but didn’t meet his eye. That was worse than his silence, though, and he found words.

“Holtz,  _ Adam _ , look at me? Please?”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me. I know you don’t love me like that.” Adam said, still staring out over his head where they spun slowly in the middle of the dance floor. 

This wasn’t the right place for this conversation. How had they even gotten here? Whatever, they were here now and he wasn’t going to risk derailing it by suggesting a change of location. 

“That’s what I’m trying to say!” Justin insisted, trying to keep his voice low, trapped in the space between them. “I do love you like that. Adam, I’ve been in love with you for years. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Adam finally looked at him, his eyes shiny and face broken. “I didn’t want to make you choose. I’m… I’m ace. And I love you so much and I want to be with you forever and kiss you and stuff but… sex has never really been fun for me? I just don’t want it. And I didn’t want you to have to choose.”

Justin stared at his best friend for a long moment and tried to put all of what he’d just heard into perspective. His best friend who just came out to him in the same conversation where he’d admitted to loving him romantically. 

“What… what would it look like? To you? If we dated? If you let me love you?” Justin managed, still staring into Adam’s blue eyes. He was pretty sure they had stopped even pretending to dance at this point. 

Adam looked hopeful, suddenly. His pursed lips relaxing into a small smile. “I’d wanna live with you, cuddle with you, hold your hand, kiss you when you get home, and just… I dunno, take care of you.” 

Justin nodded, a smile taking over his own face, too. He wanted all of that, he wanted it badly. He thought about what he wanted, too, for a moment, because Adam deserved this to be fully thought through. 

It came down to this: did a relationship need to include sex for him? He was a sexual guy, it was true. He liked sex. Had fantasized about confessing his love to Adam and falling into bed with him many times. But that wasn’t all love was. 

This was his very best friend in the whole world and he was telling him that he wanted everything Justin wanted except for sex. And, well, what was that in the grand scheme of things if he could call Adam ‘his’? It wasn’t a choice at all. 

“I’m always gonna choose you.”

“Really?” Adam asked, tears filling his eyes again, threatening to spill over his smiling cheeks. 

“God, Adam, of course! I love you so much, I just want to do that openly. However that looks for us. Can I kiss you now?” 

Adam answered with his own lips crashing against Justin’s. He clung tight to his best friend as they made out like a pair of teenagers in the middle of the dance floor. 

~

After...

After April had hugged them both and told them to go makeout somewhere that wasn’t the middle of her wedding dance floor...

After they had stayed up half the night cuddling and kissing and talking about their future together...

After they had told all their friends and happily allowed Shitty and Lardo to throw an impromptu kegster to celebrate them where they made out in front of everyone and didn’t care...

After all that, Justin finally moved back into Adam’s room, right where he belonged.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm on tumblr at [willdexpoindexter](https://willdexpoindexter.tumblr.com/)


End file.
